Dean Karnazes on the run – again

Karnazes On the Run Again from Competitor Offices to Catalina

Dean Karnazes has a problem with taking a car, bus or some other carbon-spewing vehicle to the start of a running event. It seems contradictory to him, and even more so for Saturday’s inaugural Catalina Eco-Marathon, which benefits the Catalina Island Conservancy. So, the man who last fall ran an amazing 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days is putting his feet to work.

Karnazes will be attempting to draw attention to his push for more human powered transportation starting on Thursday November 15th at 7:00 am when he will leave the Competitor Magazine offices at 444 S. Cedros in Solana Beach and run from there to Long Beach, following a course of approximately 100 miles.Upon arriving early Friday morning November 16th at the Long Beach Yacht Club at 6201 Appian Way, Karnazes will team up with top adventure racer and San Diego firefighter Robyn Benincasa to kayak 26 miles from Long Beach to Catalina Island starting at 6:00 am.

Then on Saturday November 17th Karnazes will complete his journey by running the inaugural Catalina Eco- Marathon, which is designed to be one of the toughest marathons on the planet. The Catalina Eco- Marathon benefits the Catalina Conservancy, which helps to preserve and protect the vast eco-system of the island as well as the wildlife that lives there.

“There are so many times when we just jump in the car and drive less than a mile to the grocery store or post office,” Karnazes says. “Imagine how much we could help the environment if we all walked, ran or cycled on those short trips instead?”

Karnazes welcomes company, so if you would like to join him in running a part of the distance, come on down to the Competitor office.

Meanwhile, the Catalina Eco-Marathon itself promises to become an instant classic and is limited to 700 entrants. The race will start and finish in the town of Avalon, so there are no morning boats to catch and no seas to worry about. It’s just a leisurely stroll to the start line and back into town after 26.2 miles of some of the most beautiful, rugged and breathtaking trails anywhere.

During the course of the marathon, runners will traverse single track trails, ridgelines, and vistas that will afford views of the Pacific Ocean – from both sides of the island. Marathoners will run through three entirely different eco-systems and see the plant life and animal life in each, including buffalo on the course, seals in the water, and bald eagles overhead.